It’s only a few more days until The Woman King hits theaters, and it’s never too late to remember the real-life story that inspired this movie. This historical epic follows an all-female band of warriors in Dahomey, a West African kingdom, in the 1820s.
Viola Davis plays the role of General Naniska in the film. According to a description provided by Deadline, Davis’ character must train a new generation of warriors to fight against enemies who “violated their honor, enslaved their people and threatened to destroy everything they lived for.” Without further ado, here’s everything we know about the real-life events that inspired The Woman King:
Is the King Woman based on a true story?
The plot of The Woman King is said to be inspired by “strong” real-life events, as shown in the trailer. It is based on the Agojie, also known as the Amazons, an army of women who defended Dahomey, a West African kingdom that existed from the 17th to the 19th century in what is now modern-day Benin.
This is similar to the description of the movie. It is not uncommon for people to be unaware of this historical information. In fact, the female lead in the production didn’t know much about it until she was cast in the role.
Davis said the following in an interview with Vanity Fair: “The only thing I knew, literally, was that there were women somewhere in Africa who were called Amazons.” This isn’t the first time Hollywood has taken a cue from powerful female characters from this group of women.
According to the BBC, the soldiers known as the Dora Milaje who appear in Marvel’s Black Panther were similarly motivated by Agoji.
Was General Naniska from The Woman King real?
The character of General Naniska, played by Davies, is entirely fictional. Whatever Smithsonian Magazine mentions that a French naval officer saw a young recruit of the same name while on a visit and that the recruit was from France.
According to reports, she “hadn’t killed anyone yet” before a prisoner was brought before her. After beheading the prisoner, she “squeezed the blood from her sword and ate him.”
As the officer stated that she died three months into the conflict, it is not known if the real Naniska actually rose to the rank of general. However, this is very plausible DavisThe character is inspired by the young recruit. On September 16, The Woman King will be released in theaters.